The present invention relates to a disk reproduction apparatus, particularly adapted to be loaded in a vehicle, capable of being installed in various arrangements such as horizontal or vertical fashion.
In general, a compact disk (CD) reproduction apparatus is loaded in a trunk room of a vehicle such as automobile in a horizontal or vertical fashion in view of the space in the trunk. The CD reproduction apparatus is composed of an outer casing and an inner reproduction mechanism which is supported by a support frame in a floating manner to maintain a vibration proof property. The support frame is suspended with respect to the outer casing by rubber dampers in each of which silicone oil is sealed and the side portion of the support frame is also suspended by vibration proof springs each having one end secured to the support frame and the other end attached to the outer casing.
In the CD reproduction apparatus of the type described above, the compact disk is mounted to a predetermined position in the casing and a pickup means is arranged above the compact disk to read information recorded thereon by moving the pickup means in a radial direction of the compact disk by a servo-mechanism.
As stated, it is possible to change the attitude of the conventional disk reproduction apparatus from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude or vice versa, and the attitude changing operation is done by changing the attaching position of one end of the vibration proof spring. This working is generally carried out by opening a cover provided for the outer casing, which involves a troublesome problem. Namely, particularly, in a case of the vertical arrangement of the disk reproduction apparatus, it is difficult to stably maintain the perpendicular position of the support frame, and in a certain case, the support frame may be suspended obliquely and the vibration applied to the support frame cannot be sufficiently absorbed by the spring means.
Furthermore, since the cover is closed after the engaging end portion of the vibration proof spring is changed, it is difficult to externally discriminate the engagement of the spring and, in an adverse case, the support frame, i.e. the disk reproduction apparatus may not be suspended pertinently.
In another point of view of the spring engaging position changing manner described above, the changing working is troublesome. The spring is released at one end and again engaged with the other position by expanding the spring, so that there is a fear of losing the resilient property of function of the spring itself.
In another aspect of the vibration proof spring suspending manner, in which both ends of the springs are released and again engaged with other engaging portions when the disk reproduction apparatus is replaced from the horizontal attitude to the vertical attitude or vice versa, the vibration proof spring is once completely removed. This working not only is troublesome but also involves a problem of losing the spring itself.
Moreover, in a case where the disk reproduction apparatus is arranged in a vertical attitude, gravity affects on the operation of the pickup device. However, the conventional CD reproduction apparatus does not include any controlling means for the servo-mechanism to solve the problem of the gravity. This sometimes affects the information reproduction operation of the apparatus and the stable tracking operation cannot be secured.